Plus-size shoppers rarely hear straight-up good news — there’s always a caveat or catch — and the latest dispatch from H&M is no exception.
Since we are excluded from so many stores, the report that a H&M will sell a collection — called Inclusive — is exciting. There will be Spring-y, “figure-flattering party dresses in 50’s styles with large polka dots and rose patterns” and they will come in a “wider than usual range of sizes” — UK sizes 32-54. That’s basically XS through XXL or size 0 through size 20; bust size 30 inches to bust size 50.5 inches; waist size 23.5 inches to waist size 44 inches. Not bad, really, considering how tough it is to find affordable plus-size clothing. Forever 21’s plus size line only goes up to a 40 inch waist (and a 48 inch bust). Old Navy offers up to size 30 (pants with a 53 inch waist; tops with a 61 inch bust). Of course, Old Navy only offers its plus-size clothing online. You can’t buy Old Navy plus-size clothes in stores.
Which brings us to the bad news about the H&M Inclusive collection: Yes, it’s online only. And more bad news: It’s a one-off collection, meaning when it’s sold out, it’s all over, gone forever. Even worse news: Runway Revolution reports that to get the garments, you need to live in Europe, in the delivery zone of these H&M Online stores: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Norway, Sweden and the UK. So most of us plus-size shoppers will just have to gawk at these pretty dresses knowing we can never have them. Sigh.
H&M GETS INCLUSIVE – Preview looks! [Runway Revolution]
Inclusive – a collection exclusively for H&M Online [H&M]